This invention relates to a taxidermy mold which includes a method of aligning and locking artificial eyes into the correct position for molding a taxidermy form. The taxidermy form is then used by a taxidermist on which to mount an animal skin, such as from a deer. The end product is typically mounted on a wall as a trophy. Obviously, the taxidermist desires to make the trophy as lifelike as possible. For this reason, very carefully manufactured glass or plastic eyes are inserted into a socket formed in the taxidermy form.
One way of accomplishing this was for the taxidermist himself to insert the eyes into the sockets of the completed form at the same time as he applied the skin. This was the procedure invariably followed in the past and still used by many taxidermists today. However, this procedure is time consuming and relatively complicated. Since most glass eyes include a pupil, care must be taken to properly align the pupil in relation to the mold so that the eye appears to be as natural and lifelike as possible. There are a number of axes on which the eye must be properly aligned for it to appear lifelike and to constitute a correct anatomical representation of a deer.
Because of the time and expense required and lack of consistently accurate results achieved by taxidermist-inserted eyes, some manufacturers of taxidermy forms now mold the eye into the form at the same time as the form itself is poured. The form is made by pouring hardenable polyurethane foam liquid into a cavity formed by two mold parts which are placed together. Recesses are provided in the interior walls of the mold parts and an eye is releasably secured to each of the recesses. The rear of each eye projects outwardly into the cavity. As the liquid hardens, the eye is molded into the taxidermy form.
For this procedure to work, the eye must be properly aligned so that when the skin is applied to the taxidermy form, the eyes appear in their natural and anatomically correct position. This is difficult to do, since, when the eye is inserted into the recess in the interior wall of the mold parts, the outer surface of the eye cannot be seen. Therefore the pupil of the eye cannot be oriented to its proper position solely by observation.
A first step in assisting the manufacturer of the taxidermy form to properly insert the eyes for molding into the form is represented by the Rinehart U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,340. This patent discloses a taxidermy mold and molding method for making a taxidermy mannikin wherein each of the eye socket recesses is immediately surrounded by a correctly contoured surface having reference indicia markings. Specifically, ridges are molded into the mold parts adjacent the eye recess and the eye is intended to be inserted into the recess. The long axis of the pupil is aligned with two of the opposing ridges and the short axis of the pupil aligned with the other two. This is most clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of Rinehart '340. While this aligning technique is certainly easier than aligning purely by observation, a degree of subjectivity and variation is still necessary. In practice, this method is not proven particularly satisfactory since the alignment of the pupil with the ridges must be exact.